The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, led the demolition exercise on Saturday, emphasizing that occupants of the affected buildings had been served notices but refused to vacate.
Olumide stated that the government took the step to protect lives, as most of the buildings failed structural integrity tests. He emphasized the government’s commitment to prioritizing the safety of residents, irrespective of their tribe or religion.
Expressing concern over occupants who declined to evacuate despite sufficient notice, Olumide stressed that human lives were more crucial than buildings. He urged owners of distressed structures to proactively demolish them, warning that the government would confiscate any land with removed distressed structures.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Oki, highlighted the necessity of demolishing distressed structures due to the threat they posed to adjoining buildings and residents’ lives. He called on Lagosians to report distressed buildings and other planning infractions within their neighborhoods to the government.
